Browse NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day archive by date and media: Archive Discoveries
Browse the NASA APOD archive without needing the exact date first. Filter by media type and keep moving deeper into older images and videos.
Lightning on Jupiter
Does lightning occur only on Earth? No. Spacecraft in our Solar System have detected lightning on other planets, including Mars , Jupiter and Saturn , and lightning is likely on…
3D Ingenuity
The multicolor, stereo imaging Mastcam-Z on the Perseverance rover zoomed in to capture this 3D close-up (get out your red/blue glasses) of the Mars Ingenuity helicopter on…
Giant Galaxies in Pavo
Over 500,000 light years across, NGC 6872 (top right) is a truly enormous barred spiral galaxy , at least 5 times the size of our own very large Milky Way. The appearance of this…
Stars and Dust across Corona Australis
Cosmic dust clouds cross a rich field of stars in this telescopic vista near the northern boundary of Corona Australis , the Southern Crown. Part of a sprawling molecular cloud…
Three Sun Paths
Does the Sun follow the same path every day? No . The Sun's path changes during the year, tracing a longer route during the summer than the winter. Pictured here , the Sun's arc…
The Ñandú in the Milky Way
Have you seen the bird in the Milky Way? Beyond the man in the Moon , the night sky is filled with stories, and cultures throughout history have projected some of their most…
The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula
The center of the Lagoon Nebula is a whirlwind of spectacular star formation. Visible near the image center, at least two long funnel-shaped clouds, each roughly half a light-year…
Saturn's Northern Hexagon
Why would clouds form a hexagon on Saturn? Nobody is sure. Originally discovered during the Voyager flybys of Saturn in the 1980s, nobody has ever seen anything like it anywhere…
Sunset to Sunrise over the Baltic Sea
This serene view from the coast of Sweden looks across the Baltic sea and compresses time, presenting the passage of one night in a single photograph. From sunset to sunrise,…
M15: Dense Globular Star Cluster
Messier 15 is an immense swarm of over 100,000 stars. A 13 billion year old relic of the early formative years of our galaxy it's one of about 170 globular star clusters that…
The Shark Nebula
There is no sea on Earth large enough to contain the Shark nebula. This predator apparition poses us no danger as it is composed only of interstellar gas and dust . Dark dust like…
The Largest Satellites of Earth
What's that near the Moon? It's the International Space Station (ISS). Although the ISS may appear to be physically near the Moon , it is not — it is physically near the Earth .…
The Sun and Its Missing Colors
Here are all the visible colors of the Sun , produced by passing the Sun's light through a prism -like device. The spectrum was created at the McMath-Pierce Solar Observatory and…
Mars and the Beehive
This month, bright Mars and brilliant Venus are the prominent celestial beacons in planet Earth's western skies after sunset. Wandering through the constellation Cancer the Crab,…
Pandora's Cluster of Galaxies
This deep field mosaicked image presents a stunning view of galaxy cluster Abell 2744 recorded by the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam. Also dubbed Pandora's Cluster, Abell…
Elephant's Trunk and Caravan
Like an illustration in a galactic Just So Story , the Elephant's Trunk Nebula winds through the emission region and young star cluster complex IC 1396 , in the high and far off…
M94: A Double Ring Galaxy
Most galaxies don't have any rings of stars and gas -- why does M94 have two? First, spiral galaxy M94 has an inner ring of newly formed stars surrounding its nucleus, giving it…
In the Center of the Trifid Nebula
What's happening at the center of the Trifid Nebula? Three prominent dust lanes that give the Trifid its name all come together. Mountains of opaque dust appear near the bottom,…
Color the Universe
Wouldn't it be fun to color in the universe? If you think so, please accept this famous astronomical illustration as a preliminary substitute. You, your friends , your parents or…
Charon: Moon of Pluto
A darkened and mysterious north polar region known to some as Mordor Macula caps this premier high-resolution view. The portrait of Charon , Pluto's largest moon, was captured by…
Messier 101
Big, beautiful spiral galaxy M101 is one of the last entries in Charles Messier's famous catalog, but definitely not one of the least. About 170,000 light-years across, this…
Recycling Cassiopeia A
Massive stars in our Milky Way Galaxy live spectacular lives. Collapsing from vast cosmic clouds, their nuclear furnaces ignite and create heavy elements in their cores. After a…
M27: The Dumbbell Nebula
Is this what will become of our Sun? Quite possibly. The first hint of our Sun 's future was discovered inadvertently in 1764 . At that time, Charles Messier was compiling a list…
Milky Way over a Turquoise Wonderland
What glows there? The answer depends: sea or sky? In the sea, the unusual blue glow is bioluminescence . Specifically, the glimmer arises from Noctiluca scintillans ,…
Viewing discoveries from 25 June 2023 through 29 May 2023.